LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN'S… BOYS CLOTHES FOR GIRLS

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

"Since women borrow from men's wardrobes all the time, that men should borrow from women is, arguably a trend overdue", so wrote one of my favourite fashion writers, Laura Craik, of Burberry's AW14 menswear show in The Times. It's a brilliant observation and one that is particularly fitting in a week when it was not just Burberry silken scarves repping womenswear on the men's catwalks. There were also dresses (long and kaftan-like) at Christopher Shannon and Craig Green plus handbags and high heels at J.W Anderson. Aside from these obviously "feminine" style references though, there were so many clothes on show at LC:M which would make a woman just as happy as a man that it sort-of became the week in which girls-wanted-clothes-made-for-boys-inspired-by-girls. It's enough to make you think that there will surely be some point in the future when fashion is whatever sex you want it to be. In tribute to this, here are seven of my favourite looks from LC:M chosen because they would look gorgeous no matter what your sex.

1. E.TAUTZ

Incredible coat and genius copper/ red sheen combo.

2. JONATHAN SAUNDERS

A cricket jumper for winter and jazzy trousers

3. RICHARD NICOLL

Untucked shirt = way to break up the polish. Lovely shade of pink on the trouser stripe.

4. AGI & SAM

What a chic suit! Especially the flared crop of the trousers.

5. SIBLING

This year's Christmas jumper sorted already

6. NICOMEDE TALAVERA

Sporty, sci-fi sharpness from the Fashion East newbie.

7. J.W ANDERSON

Scruffed up sleeves and giant bangles look like a modern kind of elegant. Bag is very Celine.

THE WEEK IN FASHION: MAY 20th-24th

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

Everything you need to know about the week in fashion is within this blog post. Read, know, then go bank holiday weekend your socks off...

Jenna Lyons (image via tumblr.com)

It's seems like it's been a long time coming, but J.Crew has finally hit British shores this week. For today and tomorrow (Friday/ Saturday), the fashionably preppy US label is hosting a pop-up in a rather fabulous converted shed/ stables at Central Saint Martin's. Jenna Lyons, J.Crew's President and Artistic Director, is in town and used the opportunity to announce that J.Crew will be sponsoring a scholarship for CSM MA students. I popped along yesterday to the pop-up shop where you can get J.Crew's famous cashmere jumpers monogrammed and buy a jewelled collar especially designed for the London pop-up by the J.Crew design crew. A permanent shop is due to open on Regent Street in November.

Visit J Crew's pop-up at CSM by getting yourself to King's Cross Tube, and follow the arrows.

J Crew pop up via J Crew Instagram

One of my personal favourite collars from the J Crew pop-up

The BFC this week announced three new menswear designers to join the NEWGEN cohort in time for London Collections:Mens which is taking place in June. Agi & Sam, Astrid Andersen and Nasir Mazhar will get the backing of the BFC to show and sell their collections during the men's shows next month.

Agi and Sam did an inspired AW13 show in which they took the Marquess of Bath as muse. (catwalking.com)

Fabulous purple/ florals/ streetwear at Astrid Andersen AW13 (catwalking.com)

Nasir Mazhar AW13 (fashion156.com)

Issa, the label favoured by the Middleton sisters and friends, announced last week that founder and creative director Daniela Helayel is leaving. Blue Farrier has been appointed to take over. Farrier has great fashion pedigree, having worked at Stella McCartney and Chloe. Issa is particularly well-known for its flattering wrap dresses- Kate Middleton wore a blue one to match her engagement ring when she and Prince William announced that they would be getting married.

The new Givenchy AW13 campaign has been styled by none other than Carine Roitfeld. She cast Amanda Seyfried and up-and-coming Spanish model Dalianah Arekion in the rather subdued black and white images. It seems that Roitfeld also couldn't resist shooting herself, with daughter Julia, as well.

Amanda and Dalianah in Givenchy AW13 (via wwd.com)

Carine and Julia via Michel Gaubert on Instagram

At Issa's latest LFW show for AW13, models wore gimicky polo necks with hoods attached. Here's hoping Farrier might have a transformative magic touch.

Ugh. Issa W13 (catwalking.com)

Fendi will hold a special photography exhibition during July's Paris couture shows. As part of its pledge to help save the Trevi Fountain, images taken by Karl Lagerfeld (Fendi Creative Director, and you know the rest) will be on display. There will also be a 120-page book published to accompany the exhibition. Another clever high fashion initiative to make the public feel involved in the very exclusive round of couture shows.

Congratulations to Tatty Devine, The Cambridge Satchel Company, Harris Tweeds and Christopher Raeburn who were among the winners at last night's UK Fashion and Textiles Awards. Go Made in Britain!

Tatty Devine's award. As tweeted by co-founder Rosie Wolfenden.

Skate culture has been permeating fashion for a while now and it seems to be reaching a peak, especially with Yasmin Sewell's Beach in the East pop-up, inspired by Dogtown and the Z-Boys. The Guardian brought all the references together very nicely this week. Dazed Digital have done a great piece on the fight to save the Southbank undercroft. And if you have time for a fascinating long read this weekend, then may I suggest this on what happened to the stars of Kids.

Skating at Southbank. Image by Sophie Wedgewood via dazeddigital.com

Browsing in Browns Focus the other day, I was particularly drawn to a very sweet Olympia Le-Tan doodled cotton body suit. Le-Tan is, of course, most famous for her embroidered book cover clutch bags. It turns out that Olympia is sister of Cleo, a French novelist and daughter of Pierre, a highly respected illustrator. If you're anything like me and enjoy being nosy about these fabulous kinds of families, then you should read The Daily Beast's interview with Cleo Le-Tan.

Cleo and Olympia Le-Tan (via thedailybeast.com)

Finally, Cannes is STILL going on. In fact, it's been going on so long now that jewellery thieves have managed to strike twice. Yesterday, a £1.7m necklace from jewellers Di Grisogono went missing, despite the fact it was being heavily guarded at a chateau party. My four favourite stories from the festival this week are:

Nicole Kidman potentially wearing the Valentino dress which Anna Hathaway ditched for the Oscars at the lat minute.

Jessica Chastain wearing Spanx dyed vivid purple to match her Givenchy Couture dress.

And a Psy impostor gatecrashing loads of great parties and fooling celebrities.

Last night, the super, duper glamourous AMFAR gala, held to raise funds for AIDS, took place in Cannes. Carine Roitfeld was in charge this year and organised "The Ultimate Gold Collection" fashion show which was crammed full of specially created gold creations by the world's best designers. To round off The Week in Fashion, here are some of the shiniest looks of the night, as modelled by some of Carine's nearest and dearest, of course. Sun, take note. 

Giovanna Battaglia in Miu Miu (via vogue.co.uk) 

Joan Smalls in Givenchy (via vogue.co.uk) 

Anna dello Russo in Pucci (via vogue.co.uk)

Irina Shayk in Prada (via Vogue.co.uk)

Carine's daughter, Julia Restoin Roitfeld in Valentino (via vogue.co.uk)

LONDON COLLECTIONS MEN'S: FEAL FAVOURITES

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

This weekend, London got its first ever dedicated menswear shows. Prince Charles, Tinie Tempah and David Gandy among others were out to show that British menswear is as exciting and as relevant as ever.  What other city can you think of where traditional tailored attire seems just as linked to its history and culture as mad, experimental and verging on the unwearable looks? 

We've picked the three shows from the weekend's line-up which we not only adored but also show the huge variety coming out of London's menswear scene....

#1 J.W ANDERSON

Mr Anderson is a hands down LFW fave - there were queues round the block at 7am on the day of his show in February, many hours before it was due to start, and the same was true this Sunday morning for his 9am show.  This collection with its lace tops and suits, cartoon tees and oversized pink Samurai coat was squarely aimed at the directionally- minded fashionisto, but delve a bit deeper and the perfect white shirt, cool and quirky prints and a fine selection of neat trousers are in place. Something for every man actually, styled in J Dubs's particular brand of avant garde cool. 

Images from Catwalking.com

#2 MR START

Mr Start, the menswear label from East London's favourite designer store Start, designed by the stores owner/founder, the multi-talented Philip Start, showed a slick collection which gave a modern twist to the Savile Row look so entrenched in London's menswear history. It takes the fuddy duddy out of of that tradition while keeping the sleek lines and formal lines which would make any man look irresistible. These are the clothes I'd like to see my boyfriend in.

Mr Philip Start with models wearing Mr Start  

Images from Mr Start

#3 MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF

We appreciated the setting for this presentation -  the morning after the night before at a rave, in a squat. It immediately brought to life what Ben Kirchhoff and Edward Meadham are always showing us in their inventive catwalk spectacles; namely the kind of louche creative squalor beloved of art students. A kind of uncompromising freedom from everything in "normal" life. This presentation provided total immersion as models reclined on collapsed beds, surrounded by empty bottles and discarded pizza boxes. With their dip dyed shaggy hair dos, the models genuinely looked like the kind of guys who might end up hanging here after a night in Vauxhall. As for the clothes, there was much to covet including proper boyish jumpers and sporty pieces as well as embellished sheer tops and floral pieces which have gone straight on the wish lists of lots of fashion girls as well as boys. Oh, and form an orderly queue now for the fluoro high tops.

 Pepto Bismol boy

Images from Meadham Kirchhoff